Best Bushes And Shrubs For Landscaping

One of the most essential parts of any home is its landscaping, and whether you need to dress up your color scheme or are hoping to create some privacy, choosing the correct bushes or shrubs for sale can completely transform your home’s look, curbside appeal, and purpose. Whether redesigning an established garden or designing a new one, selecting sustainable plants that will lighten summer, provide four seasons of interest, and take too much time to maintain is essential. 

In this blog, we will review the best bushes and shrubs for landscaping, specifically for those of us in Nashville (and surrounding areas). Opportunity Landscapes and Nursery has you covered for all your landscaping and nursery needs, whether you live in the area and need professional advice or just good landscapping plants!

Bushes And Shrubs For Landscaping: Why Opt For Them?

Before getting into the best choices for landscaping, it’s helpful to understand the value of bushes and shrubs in a garden:

Biodiversity

Having bushes and shrubs in your garden increases biodiversity. Their diverse he. Their shapes and foliage colors offer a layered, dynamic appearance that can be customized to complement your home’s structure and surrounding landscape.

Privacy

You also hear that tall shrubs and bushes create natural fences that act as privacy between you and your neighbor in your yard. A row of evergreens, for instance, can screen views from neighbors or street traffic.

Wildlife Habitat

Shrubs and bushes can also attract birds, butterflies, and other pollinators. They provide a home for local wildlife and support various animals by providing shelter, nesting sites, and food.

Low-Maintenance

Once established, most landscape shrubs and bushes are hardly labor-intensive. As such, they are an excellent solution for the homeowner who prefers not to do too much maintenance but still wants something attractive in the yard.

Variety

You can select plants with different flowers, colors, and seasonal foliage.

Best Bushes And Shrubs For Landscaping In Nashville

Nashville’s climate includes USDA Hardiness Zones 6b to 7a, so its plants must endure hot summers and cold winters. Choosing varieties that adapt to these conditions is essential when selecting shrubs and bushes. Here are some evergreen shrubs and bushes to plant in Nashville:

Boxwood (Buxus spp.)

One of the most popular evergreen shrubs is boxwood, which can be used to create formal hedges and borders or as a standalone landscape feature. The plant has dense, dark green foliage that looks good year-round. Boxwoods are tolerant and can survive in either sun or partial shade, making them ideal for many types of landscaping. 

WhyIt’s Great.

Boxwoods are hardy, easy to prune, and can be shaped into topiaries or used to establish neat, crisp lines in a garden.

Where To Grow Them

Such as hedges, foundation plants, or decorative containers.

Azalea (Rhododendron spp.)

Classic Azaleas are the best landscaping choice due to their unique blooms. These shrubs come in all colors, from soft pinks to deep reds and whites. Azaleas do well in partial shade, so they’re excellent candidates to plant under trees or in areas that don’t get full sun during the day.

Why It’s Great

 

Azaleas offer a burst of color in the spring, when most plants adjust and wake up from winter. Once established, they’re low maintenance and tolerant of the Nashville climate.

Best spot

Plant along walkways, near trees, or shaded garden spots for a stunning spring display.

Indian Hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica)

Thyme is a beautiful and hardy evergreen shrub. It features glossy green leaves and clusters of pink or white flowers in spring. This shrub can withstand Nashville’s hot summers and is drought-tolerant once established.

Why It’s Great

Indian Hawthorn, with its colorful flowers and dark green leaves, is a beautiful addition to the garden. It is also pretty insect-resistant and ideal for low-maintenance landscapes.

Best Place To Grow

Foundation plantings; mixed border

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)

Japanese Maples are versatile and beautiful shrubs, a focal point for any garden. When you think about what these trees offer, they have delicate leaves that change color according to the seasons, with brilliant red or orange colors in the fall. Though most Japanese Maples are small trees, some varieties will work as lovely, ornamental shrubs.

Why It’s Great

Japanese Maples are spectacular and can survive Nashville’s temperate climate. They are effective in both formal and informal garden designs.

Best Place To Grow

Above dappled sunlight, but with protection from the midday sun.

Hydrangea (Hydrangea spp.)

Hydrangeas are one of the most popular shrubs used by home­owners in landscaping because they can produce many large, colorful blooms. These shrubs include the many varieties of Hydrangea macrophylla (bigleaf), Hydrangea paniculata (panicled), and Hydrangea arborescens (smooth). With flowers in shades of blue, pink, purple, and white, they’re a delight to the eye in the garden.

Why It’s Great

You can’t go wrong with hydrangeas if you’re looking for big, showy blooms in late spring to summer; their habit of changing color year to year, depending on whether your soil is acidic or alkaline (especially bigleaf hydrangeas), means you get added visual interest.

Best Place To Grow

Grow in partial shade for the best blooms.

Loropetalum (Loropetalum chinense)

Chinese Fringe Flower (Loropetalum) The Chinese fringe flower grows as an evergreen shrub, and in the springtime, the plant blooms with soft, delicate, ragged flowers, either in pink or white. Some varieties have dark burgundy foliage that provides color all year. This shrub is ideally suited for the climate in Nashville, as it will tolerate sun and partial shade.

Why It’s Great

Color and texture (in the form of cute flowers and attractive foliage) come from loropetalum. It is drought-tolerant and resists many pests.

Best Place To Grow

Excellent for hedges, foundation plantings, or specimen plants.

Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata)

Winterberry Holly is an excellent option if you are looking for plants to add winter interest to your landscape. Thispe. A deciduous tree that bears red berries in winter is beautiful in gardens, especially in winter. It likes moist, acidic soil and grows well in Nashville’s climate.

Why It’s Great

Winterberry Holly adds striking seasonal color via its vibrant red berries, giving it a festive flair in winter and enticing hungry birds that will eat the berries.

Best Place To Grow

If you don’t yet have one, consider getting one in a group for maximum berry production. Plant it in sunny or partially shaded areas.

Spirea (Spiraea spp.)

This versatile and hardy shrub will add texture and color to your landscape. It comes in different varieties and produces white, pink, or red flowers in spring and summer. These shrubs require minimal care and thrive in most soils.

Why It’s Great

Spirea has long, ate-floweriblooms and colorful foliage in the fall. It’s also an excellent choice for a low-maintenance shrub.

Best Place To Grow

Use spirea in mixed borders, foundation plantings, or as a mass planting for an attention-grabbing show.

Viburnum (Viburnum spp.)

Viburnum shrubs produce sweet-scented blooms and round fruit, with interesting foliage that changes color with the seasons. Some, like Viburnum burkwoodii and Viburnum carlesii, have fragrant flowers in the spring, while others, like Viburnum dentatum, have fall color to boast. Viburnums are adaptable and grow in many types of soil.

Why It’s Great

Viburnums are easy to grow in full sun to partial shade. They also draw pollinators, such as bees and butterflies.

Best Place To Grow

Viburnum is perfect for hedges, privacy screens, or as a  stand-alone statement plant in your landscape.

Planting And Caring For Bushes And Shrubs In Nashville

After choosing your shrubs and your bushes, proper planting and care will ensure their long life and their beauty. Here are some suggestions for planting and caring for your Seasonal flowering shrubs:

Select The Right Location

These shrubs have various sunlight and soil requirements and must be matched to the right environment. Azaleas, for example, are happiest in shade, boxwoods in full sun.

Cultivate The Soil

Most shrubs require good drainage. Add compost or organic matter to the soil to improve its structure and nutrient content before planting.

Watering

Deeply water newly planted shrubs to help establish their root system. Once established, many shrubs need little watering, but be aware of this during dry periods, particularly in the hot summer.

Pruning

Pruning your shrubs regularly will help keep their shape and promote good growth. Of course, be sure to prune at the appropriate time for each type of plant so as not to damage the flowers or growth.

Mulching

Applying a layer of mulch around your shrubs helps keep the soil moist, weed-free, and at a stable temperature.

Conclusion

Adding shrubs and bushes to your landscaping design is a wise way to beautify your space, privacy, and functionality. Nashville homeowners, the options above are not only great looking but also appropriate for the climate in the area. Especially when you have bio gardening and features in mind, whether looking for colorful flowers, foliage, or winter, Interesa shrubhat meets your other desires. For personalized advice and the highest quality flowering plants, visit Opportunity Landscapes and Nursery. We’ll help you make the garden of your dreams.

Ready to transform your landscape with the best bushes and shrubs? Contact us today to view our wide selection of plants!